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www.theconnectionsnj.com
Marketing Strategies
with Proven Results
Serving Basking Ridge,
Long Hill Township and
Surrounding Towns
Jody Udelsman
, ABR, SRS
SALES ASSOCIATE
c: 908-868-9590 o: 908-766-8350
1 South Finley Ave, Basking Ridge NJ 07920
www.JodyUdelsman.com
My husband and I are empty-
nesters and sold our home earlier this
year. “Did you downsize?” was the
question we kept getting asked.
“Ah…not exactly,” was my response.
“We right-sized.” We moved from a
four bedroom colonial to a three bed-
room ranch, and from a busy road
with few neighbors to a quiet side
street where everyone walks their
dog or jogs by with a friendly wave.
Although we have slightly more
square footage in our new house, it’s
really just a different use of space. It’s
the right size for us at this time in our
lives.
Ask yourself these questions to see
if you might be ready to right-size:
Are the walls closing in?
If you bought your house 20 years
ago, chances are you don’t have the
“open concept” that has continued
to gain in popularity. If you do not
want to live through a major renova-
tion to open up your space, move to
a house that has an open floor plan.
Do you have too many empty
bedrooms?
If two or more bedrooms in your
house are unoccupied most of the
time and you haven’t found another
use for them, it might be time to
reassess if you really need them.
Do you have the wrong rooms?
Maybe you’re using a bedroom as
an office but you would really prefer
to have your office on the first floor
so you can take breaks on your patio
or keep an eye on dinner. Maybe
you’re tired of hauling laundry up
and down the basement steps.
Are you tired of stairs?
Stairs are a great way to stay in
shape but there comes a time when
we don’t want too many of them in
our homes. If you want the exercise,
you can use the stairs instead of the
elevator to get to your second floor
condo. You can use the stairs to the
basement of your ranch house. Or
you can use the Stairmaster at the
gym!
Has house maintenance become
a burden?
Maintaining a large house or yard
can be a financial burden as well as a
physical one. Cleaning out your own
gutters when you’re in your 30s or
40s shows pride of ownership.
Continuing to do so in your 60s and
70s shows you’ve lost your mind.
Has everyone on your street
moved away?
Are you feeling lonely? The com-
munity living in townhomes or con-
dominiums provides an opportunity
to meet your neighbors and make
friends at the pool or at social events
organized by the home owner associ-
ation.
Are you too far from family?
There’s a time to be close to our
families, whether to lend support or
to be supported. It’s also nice to be
close enough to join in on the fun.
If you are thinking of selling, the
fall market may be the right time.
Reassess your living space and make
sure it’s still right for you. Call me, or
your local Realtor, to discuss your
options for moving to a house that’s
the right size.
Jody Udelsman is a Realtor - Sales
Associate with Coldwell Banker
Residential Brokerage - Basking Ridge
office. Jody lives in Basking Ridge
with her husband Lee and dog Abby
and cat Little One.
IS IT TIME TO
RIGHT-SIZE?
By: Jody Udelsman
Coldwell Banker
PAGE 72
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